Tetrad formalism and Cartan’s structure equation

Sashwat Tanay

February 15, 2019

Contents

1 Coordinate and non-coordinate bases 2

2 Covariant deriavtives in non-coordinate bases and Cartan’s structure equations 3

3 What’s the point of tetrad formalism and Cartan’s structure equations? 4

1
1 Coordinate and non-coordinate bases

This discussion is based on Appendix J of [1]. Instead of working with the coordinate bases ê(µ) =
∂µ , let’s introduce another set of bases (tetrads) at every point in the manifold ê(a) which are not
derivative operators (Greek/English letters =⇒ coordinate/non-coordinate bases). We demand them
to be orthonormal so that

g(ê(a) , ê(b) ) = ηab . (1)

We define eaµ and eνb such that

ê(µ) = eaµ ê(a) (2)

and

eνb eaν = δba eνb ebµ = δµν (3)

hold true. Using these, we can now change bases

ê(b) = eνb ê(ν) (4)

and write (1) as

gµν = eaµ ebν ηab . (5)

We can choose non-coordinate one form θ̂(a) bases such that

θ̂(a) (ê)(b) ) = δba (6)

θ̂(a) eµb ê(µ) (θ̂ν ) = δba θ̂ν where θ̂ν := dxµ (7)
θ̂(µ) = eµa θ̂(a) (8)
θ̂(a) = eaµ θ̂(µ) . (9)

For a mixed tensor V = Vµν ê(µ) ⊗ θ̂(µ) , (2), (3) and (8) let us see that

V = Vµν ê(µ) ⊗ θ̂(ν) = Vab ê(a) ⊗ θ̂(b) (10)

Vab = eaµ eνb Vνµ using (2) and (8). (11)

Also, the following (and similar operations for raising and lowering indices) holds true

Vab = Vac η cb (12)

Vab = V bc ηca . (13)

A general tensor components with all Greek/English letter components having been defined as above, a
mixed component of such a tensor is defined as

V = Vaν ê(a) ⊗ θ̂(ν) , (14)

which leads to change in the point of view we see tensors (from real-valued functions to tensor-valued
functions). This tensor written in this way can be considered to be a vector-valued (corresponding to

2
English letters) one-form (corresponding to Greek letters). For tensors written in this mixed way, two
kinds of transformations are possible: choosing a different set of orthonormal tetrads (local Lorentz trans-
formations Λba , the LLTs preserve orthonormality) and changing the global coordinate system (GCT).
Under these ‘mixed transformations’, a ‘legitimate tensor’ would transform as
0 0 ∂xν a
Vνa0 = Λaa V . (15)
∂xν 0 ν

2 Covariant deriavtives in non-coordinate bases and Cartan’s struc-

ture equations

Jumping to the section on covariant derivatives, we postulate that the covariant derivative ∇µ Vba is of
the form (I don’t remember why we can do that)

∇µ Vba = ∂µ Vba + ωµc

a
Vbc − ωµb
c
Vca , (16)

a is called the spin connection which can be expressed in terms of Christoffel symbols when we
where ωµc
try to write the covariant derivative of a vector both in mixed bases and coordinates one:

∇V = ∇µ V a dxµ ⊗ ê(a) (17)

a
= (∂µ V ν + eνa ∂µ eλa V λ + eνa ebλ ωµb X λ )dxµ ⊗ ∂ν (18)
a
Γνµλ = eνa ∂µ eaλ + eνa ebλ ωµb , (19)

where to arrive at the second equality, use has been made of analogs (for (1,0) tensors) of (4), (11)
and (16) and the third equality can be arrived at once we notice that ∇µ V ν = ∂µ V ν + Γνµλ V λ . We use
Christoffel symbols (spin-connections) for taking the covariant derivative of a tensor with Greek (English)
indices. Hence, the covariant derivative of eaν becomes

∇µ eaν = ∂µ eaν − Γλµν eaλ + ωµa ebν = 0, (20)

where use of (19) has been made to arrive at the second equality (also known as the tetrad postulate).

ab transforms as a tensor under a GCT, but not under an LLT, then

Also, suppose a quantity Vµν
it can still be considered as a (0,2) tensor (under GCT), but not a tensor-valued (0,2) tensor. That’s the
nature of the spin coefficients introduced above. Therefore, we can defined a spin-connection one form
as

ωba = ωµb
a
dxµ , (21)

where the indices a and b remain ‘dormant’ during tensor transformations (change of bases/coordinate
a and ω ν are not tensors when all of their indices are taken into account. With
systems). Note that ωµb µλ
this we define the vector-valued torsion 2-form as

T a = dea + ωba ∧ eb , (22)

3
which can be seen to agree with the coordinate basis definition (with all Greek indices) of torsion tensor
easily

λ
Tµν = eλa Tµν
a
(23)
= eλa (∂µ eaν − ∂ν eaµ + ωµb
a b a b
eν − ωνb eµ ) (24)
= Γλµν − Γλνµ , this is the torsion tensor in coordinate bases (25)

where the definition of wedge product and exterior derivative has been used which are

(p + q)!
(A ∧ B)µ1 ....µp+q := A[µ1 ...µp Bµp+1 ...µp+p ] and (26)
p!q!
(dA)µ1 ...µp+1 := (p + 1)∂[µ1 Aµ2 ...µp+1 ] . (27)

Similarly the Riemann curvature tensor and one of the Bianchi identities become

Rba = dωba + ωca ∧ ωbc (28)

dT a + ωba ∧ T b = Rba ∧ eb . (29)

These equations are called the Cartans’s structure equations. The general strategy for a general tensor
seems to consist of identifying the antisymmetric indices and let those indices remain Greek and convert
all other indices into English ones. This way we get a tensor-valued differential form of a reduced rank.
Also, finally with the use of (16), metric compatibility can be written in this new language as

c c
∇µ ηab = ∂µ ηab − ωµa ηcb − ωµb ηac (30)
ωµab = −ωµba , (31)

where to arrive at the last equality, we recall that English indices can be raised/lowered by the η matrix.

3 What’s the point of tetrad formalism and Cartan’s structure equa-

tions?

The point of tetrads and Cartan’s structure equations is that the Riemann tensor components can be
written with much lesser effort as compared to the usual way. I read this section too from [1], just did
not tex it yet. But now we have computers to give us the Riemann tensor components. What then, is
the significance of Cartan’s structure equations in today’s world?

References

[1] Sean M Carroll. Spacetime and geometry. An introduction to general relativity. 2004.